NAIROBI, Kenya – A new international study has found that women using the combined oral contraceptive pill may face a significantly higher risk of a rare type of stroke, raising fresh concerns as Kenya sees a dramatic rise in the pill’s uptake.
The study, presented this month at the European Stroke Organisation Conference in Helsinki, found that women who use the combined pill—commonly prescribed for birth control and hormone-related conditions—were three times more likely to suffer a cryptogenic ischemic stroke, a type of stroke with no known cause.
Researchers analysed medical data from 536 women aged 18 to 49.
Half of them had experienced a cryptogenic stroke; the rest were healthy controls.
Among stroke patients, 66 were on the combined pill, compared to 38 in the control group.
Dr Mine Sezgin, lead author and neurology expert at Istanbul University, said the findings strengthen a growing body of evidence linking oral contraceptives to stroke risk—even in women without traditional risk factors like obesity, high blood pressure, or migraines.
“Our findings confirm earlier evidence linking oral contraceptives to stroke risk and should prompt more careful evaluation of stroke risk in young women,” said Dr Sezgin. “This knowledge could help guide more personalised contraceptive choices.”
Notably, the researchers found no direct link between the stroke cases and typical risk markers, suggesting the medication itself—or perhaps unknown genetic or biological mechanisms—could be contributing.
The findings come at a time when Kenya is seeing a record rise in the use of the combined pill.
According to new data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), 294,172 new users were recorded in 2024—a sharp increase from 191,487 the previous year. Repeat visits also surged to nearly half a million.
While the World Health Organization estimates that more than 100 million women globally rely on the combined pill, experts caution against alarm.
Medical professionals emphasize that the absolute risk of stroke among healthy young women remains extremely low, and that pregnancy itself poses a higher stroke risk than taking the pill.
The contraceptive remains over 99 per cent effective when used correctly and is also commonly prescribed for managing heavy periods, endometriosis, PMS, and acne.
Still, doctors say the new findings should not be ignored.
“These results don’t mean all women should stop using the pill,” said one Nairobi-based gynaecologist who spoke to Y News. “But it does mean that we must take a more nuanced, risk-based approach—especially for women with family histories of stroke or clotting disorders.”
The study’s authors called for larger-scale research to determine whether different formulations of the pill may carry different levels of risk, and urged healthcare providers to consider stroke risk during contraceptive counselling.
